Getting vegetables right

fresco · November 29, 2003

I've always liked the idea of fennel, but never felt that it quite delivered on its potential. Until tonight, when I made fettucine with pancetta and fennel, from epicurious.

What vegetables do you find hard to get to know?

marie-louise · November 29, 2003

It took me a long time to figure out kale-not chard, just kale. Thanks to the Zuni Cafe Cookbook, I've got it now. I have some collard greens in the fridge at the moment; the only way I know how to cook them is Southern style. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

I recently got some daikon in my CSA box. It had no taste (I roasted it per their suggestions.)

As a general rule, any vegetable is improved by sauteeing w/ pancetta, olive oil and garlic.

Anna N · November 29, 2003

I have always liked carrots but found they moved into a whole new hemisphere when glazed and seasoned with lemon and thyme. :wub:

Katherine · November 29, 2003

As a general rule, any vegetable is improved by sauteeing w/ pancetta, olive oil and garlic.

Actually, my perception is that there are two types of vegetables: those that are improved by a touch of sweetening, and those that are improved by a generous application of pork product.

fifi · November 29, 2003

Repeat after me... GRATIN

Since I got my Le Creuset cast iron gratin pans, everything is a gratin. I started with Steingarten's Potatoes Dauphinois and went from there. Those potatoes are the reason I got the pans in the first place. I found that just about any vegetable can be thinly sliced, covered with cream, with your choice of seasonings, and you have a wonderful dish. I haven't tried fennel, yet. If I see some that looks good I definitely will.

My favorite eggplant dish is here.. You can leave out the sausage and it is still good.

The gratin technique seems to concentrate the flavors wonderfully.

helenjp · November 30, 2003

Hmmm...vegies!

Carrots have my full enthusiasm in theory, but I like them best deep-fried -- the texture and the sweetness!!!

Collard greens...where did I read that Caldo Gallego is the best way to encourage kids to eat their greens? They weren't wrong.

Daikon...here in Japan, the usual wisdom is that they should be precooked briefly in the starchy first-rinse water produced when washing rice (or failing that, chuck a spoon or two of rice in the boiling water). That removes any harsh or bitter flavor, leaving them all ready to absorb soup flavorings. I tried to short-cut it, but that step turns out to be important if you want to enjoy your simmered daikon! Before I learned that, my uses for daikon were pretty much restricted to tenderizing octopus -- a recipe book I had said "beat your octopus gently with a daikon..." an instruction I certainly couldn't resist following!

Here simmered daikon is mostly served in "oden" a soy-based simmered dish of daikon and fish sausage or tofu products and devil's tongue root jelly...but it goes well with a chicken or beef stock too. You can also sear thick slices so they get a bit sunburned, then cook them slowly in a soup. Or grate the daikon finely and use it raw on top of a steak or strongly-flavored grilled fish...or add a little soup stock and slowly simmer other things in (good with oysters, tofu, and a little green onion, served with lemon and soy, for example).

The vegetable I have least time for (apart from eating them as edamame) is green soybeans. I tried to make a zunda-ae dressing from them once, which involves popping each bean out of its skin and mashing them. Maybe because they are still green, they were not willing to be denuded. I swore that I would never make that dish again...

tejon · November 30, 2003

I have just recently become fond of cauliflower - once I learned to saute it a bit then cover and cook on low with spices, I was hooked! This works well (with judicious addition of liquid as needed) for most vegetables. Though grilling is also wonderful for just about any veggie as well.

fresco · November 30, 2003

What about okra? Is there way to cook it which produces good results or is it just a love it or hate it thing?

Pan · November 30, 2003

By "good results," I assume you mean something that deemphasizes okra's mucilagineous nature? If so, look for Indian recipes - lot of good ones.

Pan · November 30, 2003

I'd also add that Malaysians and Indonesians also make good okra recipes, if you like sambal belacan (made with shrimp paste).

jwagnerdsm · November 30, 2003

What vegetables do you find hard to get to know?

Pac Choi, a regular item in our CSA box each week. What do you do with it besides chop it up for stir fry?

fresco · November 30, 2003

If by "mucilagineous" you mean having a snot-like consistency, yes.

guajolote · November 30, 2003

What about okra? Is there way to cook it which produces good results or is it just a love it or hate it thing?

deep fry it, or make pickles.

Suzanne F · November 30, 2003

Or stew it with onions, tomatoes, and peppers (sweet and hot) for a sort of southern ratatouille. You won't even notice the goo.

Jinmyo · November 30, 2003

What vegetables do you find hard to get to know?
Pac Choi, a regular item in our CSA box each week. What do you do with it besides chop it up for stir fry?

Steam or grill or roast it.

project · November 30, 2003

Peas, baby peas, any ideas on what to do with them?

E.g., it wasn't just Julia Child that helped French food in

the US; Jackie Kennedy did a part, too. At one time, she and

Jack went to the French restaurant on the SW corner of

Wisconsin Avenue and M Street in Georgetown, DC, the 'Rive

Gauche'. In the late 1960s, my wife and I went fairly often.

One dish that restaurant had was peas in some 'provincial'

style. They had a LOT of flavor, maybe bacon, garlic, onion,

olive oil, maybe more.

Knowing how to make those peas would be good, but there has to

be a lot that can be done with them.

Ideas?

Jinmyo · December 1, 2003

Shelled or unshelled?

AuntieEm · December 1, 2003

I have some collard greens in the fridge at the moment; the only way I know how to cook them is Southern style. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

Tried this dish from Food & Wine at Thanksgiving and it was a hit. It is a variation of Southern style, but nice flavor combo!

chipotle braised collard greens with tamarind

Motochef · December 1, 2003

Repeat after me... GRATIN
Since I got my Le Creuset cast iron gratin pans, everything is a gratin. I started with Steingarten's Potatoes Dauphinois and went from there. Those potatoes are the reason I got the pans in the first place. I found that just about any vegetable can be thinly sliced, covered with cream, with your choice of seasonings, and you have a wonderful dish. I haven't tried fennel, yet. If I see some that looks good I definitely will.
My favorite eggplant dish is here.. You can leave out the sausage and it is still good.
The gratin technique seems to concentrate the flavors wonderfully.

:wink: Fifi and all:

Try using the gratiin pan with fennel seasoned with sea salt and pepper along with a little dry white wine. I use my gratin pans for more than gratin!

Motochef!

project · December 1, 2003

Jimmyo:

"Shelled or unshelled?"

They were served shelled. I have been assuming that usually

the easiest way to get high quality small peas was to buy a

bag shelled and frozen. E.g., I concluded that in string

beans, the best frozen ones are better than the best fresh

ones I was likely to find without a lot of special effort in

certain seasons, etc.

monkeymay · December 1, 2003

Mmmm, braised fennel... saute pieces (or better yet, whole baby fennel) in butter till the edges begin to brown and carmelize... add white wine, the zest and juice of an orange and a handful of basil, s&p. Cook covered till tender, remove fennel and reduce pan juices to a glaze. Serve with crispy skinned salmon and a dollop of tomato confit...one of my favorite things to eat!

mamster · December 1, 2003

Bok choy (aka pac choi) is for making potstickers. Shred the leaves and stems separately, boil the leaves for one minutes and the stems for two, squeeze out the water, and mix with ground pork and a variety of seasonings and stuff into dumpling skins.

Jinmyo · December 1, 2003

Jimmyo:
"Shelled or unshelled?"
They were served shelled. I have been assuming that usually
the easiest way to get high quality small peas was to buy a
bag shelled and frozen. E.g., I concluded that in string
beans, the best frozen ones are better than the best fresh
ones I was likely to find without a lot of special effort in
certain seasons, etc.

This is true. Frozen peas (in the pod if possible) are of execptional quality.

I'll sometimes add the shells to a stock that will become a pea soup.

And with sugar snap peas I sometimes blanch them, puree and strain as part of making a soup.

Pan · December 2, 2003

If by "mucilagineous" you mean having a snot-like consistency, yes.

That's what I mean. :laugh:

gsquared · December 3, 2003

Knowing how to make those peas would be good, but there has to
be a lot that can be done with them.
Ideas?

I am particularly fond of a pea soup "cappucino" (who first did the soup cappucino thing?). Bring veg stock containing a star anise to the boil and boil the peas until soft (1 minute for small ones). Dunk into ice water to preserve the colour. Blend with a tablespoon or two of the stock (just enough to get the blender going). Scrape through a tamis. Or push through a china cap or sieve. Season. Re-heat gently. Whip cream to soft peak and add some ground black pepper and a pinch of cardamom. Fill warm demitasse cups 2/3 with the pea soup and top with the cream.

Sign In

Getting vegetables right

Recommended Posts

Similar Content

Recently Browsing 0 members